I Feel FALL in the Air

I feel Fall in the air...a skittish briskness banishing humidity into oblivion, the crisp breeze wisping through my messy hair.

I see Fall in the air... garish scarecrows standing forlornly in grocery stores, peanut dust rising in billows everywhere.

I hear Fall in the air... the bang of city shotguns shooting smugly at dove, crunchy leaves dancing down from the trees without a care.

I smell Fall in the air... the sultriness of summer slinking away like an unwanted demon, a smoky fire crackling in which to stare.

I taste Fall in the air... a spicy sweet potato pie cooling on the counter, Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte catching me in its snare.

I love Fall in the air...memories of true love beginning eleven years ago, falling over and over again for the man whose life I share.

smf
10.27.2015

Life is Good...in so many ways!

How is Life Good? Let me count the ways....

Daniel is loving his new job at the Atmore Police Department! It makes my day to see him so happy and excited to go to work!

I'm pretty sure I've finally felt our baby girl move... some soft thumpish feelings....WOW! This thing of creating a new life is just plain amazing! I'm 19 weeks now, almost half-way!

The 6th Annual Yard & Bake Sale last Saturday was  a roaring success! Especially the Bake Goods Booth which brought in a whopping $2,544!

Diesel's surgery to remove a growth/tumor was successful! He rather likes having surgery, I believe, since he was allowed to recuperate like a king on the couch in the living room!

I finally gave this blog a new 'do! Not sure that I love it, but at least it's different! Trying to learn to not let my perfectionism hinder me from just getting things DONE!

The vintage strawberry coffee cup I got from pilfering through Aunt Charity's treasures delights my soul every time I drink from it! The handle doesn't get hot in the microwave either!

Melvin repaired the kitchen floor by the sliding doors in a flash! Why didn't we do this sooner?! So pumped about the pending kitchen renovations on the horizon - new countertops, flooring, pantry, and cabinet hardware! Also, "Goodbye, butter yellow paint!" "Hello, fresh creamy white!"

Jill is the best bestie ever! She has cut out, sewn, and shipped me two adorable maternity dresses, and is currently working on the third!! I am beyond blessed.

Trent, Kristi, and kids are home on furlough from Guatemala! It was awesome to be with Kris again yesterday and to finally meet my little cousin and birthday twin, Elena! She even has reddish hair! xo

William's Station Day is today! It's one of my favorite Atmore activities! I love small-town times....and all the booths of art, and things like funnel cakes and fried Snickers.

The kumquat tree on the porch is loaded down with perfect little orange orbs of tart sunshine!
I carefully counted and was pleased to discover that my precious tree bore 65+ kumquats this year! They are rapidly diminishing though. Harrison (Jarrod & Casey Schneider's 2 year old - I'm keeping him several days a week during peanut harvest) loves to pick them, but doesn't love to eat them, so I let him pick them and I let me eat them.

Bow Season came in today! I am thrilled to begin a new session of nature watching with a deadly weapon! Hopefully the new, cute little food plot (food plots CAN be cute, even though guys would probably digress!) that Danl planted will be my lucky charm this year and I will be able to nail my first kill with my bow!

Getting rid of clutter is so liberating! I am giving nursery closet tours today, free admission! I'm just a little bit proud of how much better it looks and how much roomier it is! I think MamaBear from Berenstein Bears and FlyLady are both smiling.

This list could continue, but my mocha hot chocolate got cold and I need to go microwave it, and then go out to walk in this lovely Fall morning. Fall is simply the best season God made, in my opinion. I've been rolling a Fall poem around in my head for over a month now...maybe tomorrow it will finalize and I will post it here. I've missed writing - and can't figure out why I've been so slackish. Also, ask me for my new favorite breakfast recipe! Gingerbread in a mug! Mmmmm.....

Official Due Date Release of Baby Girl Faircloth - MARCH 18, 2016

         August the 5th is quite ancient history by now! But it is still a most pleasant memory to look back upon! We saw our little jellybean for the first time! After my ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner) measured the baby, she announced that due to the baby's size, I wasn't as far along as they or I had predicted according to how they normally estimate pregnancies. So instead of expecting our baby to arrive on/around March 7, the new due date was pushed to March 18! This was good news and bad news to me; the bad news being that I had more weeks of nausea to endure and more time to spend in the "scary" part of the first trimester. The good news was that the number was changing from an ugly 7 to a beautiful 18! I just have this autistic fascination with numbers; I love even numbers, and abhor odd numbers. I always set the alarm clock to ring on an even number like 5:52, add a lovely 8 minute snooze and then wake up (or TRY to wake up) at the completeness of 6:00! Anyway back to the due date numbers, 7 is the ugliest of all the odd numbers. It's just incomplete, only unfinished, sharp angles. So I was delighted to replace it with 18 which is the number of all numbers to me!! My birthday is June 18. I was married to the love of my life at age 18. Hence, 18 just signifies all things good. Numbers just don't get any better than a stalwart 1 standing upright beside an attractive 8, such a pleasingly plump number of perfect symmetry. So even thought the chance of our little baby actually being born on March 18, is only 1 in 20, I love having March 18 as the official due date! I must cease with this elaboration of numerology! One more thought though, isn't it wonderful that the year 2016 is also an even number?!
         I had another ultrasound on August 11 because Connie (ARNP, I see her more than my OBGYN because I can usually get in sooner and I really like her!) is a mother hen and wanted to make sure everything was okay, (it was) and you could see legs sort of! Yay!!! On my next ultrasound 2 weeks later on August 26, we could see arms and legs just kicking and moving around like crazy! So exciting! Our little gummy bear is definitely growing! I also got the optional blood work done that day to determine gender and to check for genetic disorders.
         This past Tuesday, Daniel's mom and I went shopping around in Pace looking at baby stuff at consignment shops and at Target, and we were wishing so badly that we knew the gender! So I called to my doctor on a whim just to check the status of my blood work because they had told me it could be at least 2 weeks until we would know. And the nurse called back to say that my results had just come in that day!! I freaked out but managed to tell her not to tell me; that I would call back with my husband the next day! Danl was in Baton Rouge. We called the next morning but had to leave a message, so Danl told me just to let him know as soon as they called back and told me. When she finally did, I was so shocked to hear her say, "Everything looks good, and it's a baby girl!" I repeated back to her, "It's a baby girl???" I was shocked because my gut feeling was that it was a boy! But I know this little girl will be perfect for us!! We quickly planned an impromptu gender reveal party for our immediate family. I made mock Hostess cupcakes with pink centers. Of course we started with dessert first!! I made everyone vote what they thought it was gonna be, then everyone bit into their cupcake in unison! It was hilarious! Then we all settled down and devoured some delicious sausage and chicken jambalaya, garlic bread, Caesar salad, pizza, and PINK raspberry sherbet punch! :)
            I'm 12 weeks now; 195 more days to get ready to meet OUR LITTLE GIRL!!! Wow! Even though we haven't hesitated to tell everything as soon as possible so far, we are determined to keep the name we have picked out a secret until birth! That being said, I still love hearing name suggestions! So far my very helpful extended family has volunteered the following suggestions: Charlotte Amelia, Wilhemina, Fedora, and LeMonjello!!!! So nothing is too far out to fling out! Please leave your name suggestion in the comments below.

       

Faircloth...Party of 3!!!

I have always cracked up at this pic and now I can finally use it! 

Daniel and I are so thrilled to be expecting our first child around the first week of March! We were getting suspicious during the tail end of our Canada trip that maybe we were going to be parents! So the day after getting home, I grabbed a couple tests at Walmart and BAM! It was POSITIVE! Our lives will never be the same! We managed to keep it mum over Mel's wedding weekend, but secret-keeping is not our style! Even though I haven't yet been to the doctor, we told the world! As you can imagine, we will be finding out the gender and spreading that news as soon as possible too. But first we need to see our first sonogram this week Wednesday, August 5! 

AW(s)

AW = After Wedding! 

Our life this past week has consisted of settling into the AW groove! 

No more sewing, lots more sleeping! 

And of course we both were back to work....amazing memories never far from our minds! Quality time Alisha, Pierre, Jayna, Jordan, Jemma, and Luc... baking brownies and maple sugar cookies shaped like maple leaves....walking around the pond....playing on the playground in the bright Canadian sunshine...getting mani-pedis {even Luc! He LOVED it!}...having fun with family and friends at the backyard BBQ...getting dressed on the 12th floor of the downtown Sheraton...lacing up Alisha's spectacular corset-back dress... {Mom and I pulled and pulled!!!}...gazing at Daniel all dressed up in his tux...{probably a sight we will never again behold!} ...walking over the Bow River to the River Cafe....wiping tears as Alisha & Pierre pledge their lives and love to each other forever...

laughing at antics during family photos...devouring all the hors-d'oeuvres and desserts...{they were EXCELLENT! and I tried to sample each one!}...savoring our salmon and bison steaks....tearing up over the toast from Jayna and Jordan....riding home {to the Deerfoot Inn} in a limo...{our first ride and probably our last!}....experiencing the Calgary Stampede rodeo in a first-class private box, chef included! {this once-in-a-lifetime event could be an entire post, but I will refrain!}...touring the old sights of Heritage Park....buying candy in the olde-timey candy store.... riding the flying swing ride with Luc....marveling at the majestic mountains of Banff....standing mesmerized by Lake Louise, the loveliest place in the world!...eating ice cream in the poppy garden...finally flying home sweet home...reuniting with our favorite fur children.....gearing up for the next nuptials....having fun with family at the family supper at Aunt Donna's....lighting the sky with Chinese lanterns....crying that Daniel had to work in Baton Rouge and miss Mel's wedding...accepting that life just isn't fair...transforming the Walnut Hill basement into a land of coral gerbera daisies in sparkly teal vases, polka dots, and sour gummy worms....eating Chipotle-style stacks at the Saturday night supper....doodling on the tables with Crayola crayons....staying up 'til 3 am decorating their tiny wedding cake....listening to the seraphic swells of the choir....watching my little sister become Mrs. Shane Boeckner!!...chowing down on white BBQ chicken....gazing at all the lovely gifts....sending them off to honeymoon amidst showers of bubbles and rice....

And that, my friends, is the short version! :)

Pioneer Woman's Fried Tacos!

I had been craving PW's fried tacos! Tonight, we INDULDGED. (She calls them "My Brother's Chicken Tacos" but we call them as this post is titled!) Of course, we veer off the exact recipe, and we think our changes are the bomb. To be like us, use FLOUR tortillas, and make a fresh pico de gallo to dump on them instead of the lettuce and tomato. Green chilies are not a pantry staple for me, so I skip them. By the way, 16 tacos is totally the right amount for two people. Just kidding! But we did put away 7 of them with ease.

My Brother’s Chicken Tacos

Prep Time:

 10 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 30 Minutes

 

Difficulty:

 Intermediate

 

Servings:

 8

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 whole Corn Tortillas (small Size)
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Pieces
•  Salt, Cumin, Chili Powder To Taste (or Use Taco Seasoning)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
• 1-1/2 cup Finely Grated Cheese (cheddar Or Cheddar/jack Mix)
•  Sour Cream
•  Hot Sauce (Chulula Or Other Brand)
• 2 cups Thinly Sliced Romaine Lettuce (or Any Lettuce)
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
•  Canola Oil, For Frying Tacos

Preparation Instructions

*Be careful frying with hot oil!*

Season diced chicken liberally. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Dump in the diced green chilies. Stir and cook until chicken is totally done inside. Turn off heat and set aside.

Have all other ingredients---grated cheese, sliced lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, and hot sauce---ready.

Also have a plate ready, as well as a stack of five or six paper towels to hold in your hand.

TO FRY

To fry the tacos, heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high. Place some chicken in the middle of a tortilla, then fold tortilla in half. Clamp the tortilla shut with a pair of heat-proof metal tongs, then carefully lay the taco---one side down---in the oil. As you lay it in the oil, use the tongs to hold the top side down for a few seconds to form it in place. Once it stays put, repeat with two other tacos. Turn tacos after 30 to 45 seconds, or when each side gets light golden brown (not too brown.)

One at a time, remove tacos from the pan with tongs, holding sideways as you remove them to allow oil to drip out of the sides. Place the taco in the stack of paper towels. Fold the sides and corners around the taco to tightly hold it, then give it three or four shakes to remove excess oil. Remove it from the paper towels and place on a plate. Repeat with other tacos in the pan.

As you continue frying the other tacos, have someone carefully place some grated cheese inside the tops of the tacos (gently pry them open just enough to place the cheese in). Then just let them sit until ready to serve---the cheese will melt as it sits in the warm taco.

To serve, garnish in this order: a smear of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, shredded lettuce, diced tomato. You'll need to slightly open up the tops of the tacos to get all the garnishes in there.

Tacos will be hot for a minute or two after frying, so don't rush into eating! They'll stay nice and warm for a little while after frying.

Outside my window...

Outside my window....the grey clouds of a summer thunderstorm are looming.

I am thinking....that some homemade vanilla ice cream would hit the spot right about now!

I am thankful...that I don’t have any checking to do or lesson plans to make! Definitely a perk of my new office job at Schneider Farm Fence.

In the kitchen...sits Danl’s new Savage .22 bolt-action , bull-barrel rifle he bought with birthday money. I got to shoot it today and totally annihilated a leaf!

I am wearing...an old dress that I call my “Carrot Branch” dress. The fabric came from WeCare Thrift Store.

I am creating...my dress for Alisha & Pierre’s wedding! Once again, I aspire to channel Princess Kate.

I am going...to go out an d help Daniel reinstall the running boards on Bonnie.

I am reading.... The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Attention Deficit Disorder In Adults.

(I feel quite strongly that I have this wonderful disorder because…Oh yeah I could really use some chocolate cake!)

I am hoping...to get the orange hall bathroom “minted” this week! And also “Londonified.”

I am looking forward to...flying to Calgary on June 28! And attending Pierre & Alisha’s wedding on July 4! And seeing my little sis tie the knot with Shane on July 12! And listening to my cousin Renae & Erik Olson say their “I do’s” on August 23!

I am learning...that there is nothing like having family that you can count on to always be there for you.

Around the house....things are looking better! I’m still a FlyBaby in the process of becoming completely FlyWashed!

One of my favorite things.... is sitting in my red chair in the evening knowing that the dishes are done and the house has been moderately straightened and broomed while visiting with Daniel about his day or the guns he wants to buy while he relaxes in his ninja turtle green La-Z-boy. (Talk about a run-on sentence!)

THE MARK {above? or below?}

Happy Sunday! I was reading back in my church journal again this morning and reread what I had written on November 16, 2014. Since these feelings still feel so familiar, I decided to post it!

Below the MARK - what dreaded, ugly words. But far too often they invade my thoughts with a nagging persistence. Who sets the vague idea of "the mark"? And who gets to decide if we fall above or below it? Is this mark set at a different altitude for each of us depending upon our circumstances? What if we didn't have "a mark" to attain to? Would we stop even trying? Or would doing our best actually be good enough?! Every day I battle the feelings of living below the mark. I have all these ideas of how to embellish a lesson at school, but I don't have or take enough time to prepare, and even though my students caught the concept and were enthused about acting out the slash and burn method of Mayan farming with no props, I feel below the mark because I really wanted to have had corn kernels, machetes, and pointed sticks and to have done it for real in the field beside the playground. Then I come home and water my kumquat tree with its small boughs loaded with orange fruit, and I gaze forlornly at the empty pots nearby that were supposed to be filled with beautiful blue pansies. It wouldn't have taken much time or effort to have purchased and plopped some pansies into the pots. Below the mark again! And when I dump the dustpan into the trashcan from brooming up the floors after supper, a crumpled McDonald's bag stares me in the face. There was nothing for Daniel to eat for lunch. Again. OK. Enough gloom! What if "the mark" were utterly destroyed?! Could I just be happy that I have more ideas than I can ever possibly materialize? Enjoy others' pansies? Be thankful that Daniel likes food from McDonald's? Or does "the mark" give us incentive to keep trying to give this life our all? After all, if we felt like we had "hit the mark" and had already "arrived" so to speak, would there be joy in the journey? Because maybe that's where the blessing lies - in the journey toward the mark, not the destination of reaching it.

fun. food. failure. {not necessarily in that order}

It really bothers me when I don't blog for 15 days! I get completely conflicted as to whether I should try to conjure up the beauty of the bygone days, or let them slither into the abyss of obsolete oblivion!? They were good days, even great days! Some filled with fun, some filled with food, and some filled with failure! 

Finding this donut float flooded my foodie heart with euphoria! Ever since spying it online, I had been fantasizing about owning it! And lo, and behold, when I was last at jcp, if they didn't have a stack of them perched over in the mens' sock department of all places! I would have placed them near the women's bathing suits, but nobody asked me! I was just thrilled that I had been shopping socks for Daniel so unselfishly! (ahem...I didn't buy him any socks! Only redeemed my $10 reward card for this beauty because it was just meant to be.) 

Wouldn't it be beyond amazing to own this entire collection?! But for now, the donut float just does it for me! I definitely hope to try it out this week sometime, somewhere!

Speaking of donuts....I made me one of these bad boys one evening past. No recipe needed. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. But I will give you 9 words. 

{Krispy Kreme Doughnut. Mocha Ice Cream. Melted semi-sweet chocolate.} There's nothing left to say.

I think I'm just a tiny bit obsessed with donuts lately.

Moving on to healthier matters, we had these shrimp for a light supper the other evening. A touch time-consuming to prepare, but delightful to the palate! 

Don't you just love the name? Skinny Popcorn Shrimp! You can't go wrong eating something with a moniker like this. I used 1 tsp. Old Bay and 1 tsp. Tony's. And I had to bake them quite a bit longer than 6 minutes. More like 12. Probably my shrimp were larger. 

YIELD: ABOUT 4-6 SERVINGS

SKINNY POPCORN SHRIMP

This skinny popcorn shrimp recipe is full of great flavor, easy to make, and "lighter" too!

PREP: 19 MINS COOK: 6 MINS TOTAL: 25 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. Old Bay or other Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 egg white, whisked
• 1 lb. raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• cooking spray
• lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, whisk together Panko, parmesan, old bay, salt and pepper until combined. Set up your dipping station with bowls of (1) shrimp (2) egg whites and (3) breading. Working one at a time, dip a piece of shrimp in the egg whites until it is covered. Then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and toss until combined. Gently place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining shrimp, then generously coat all of the shrimp with a layer of cooking spray. (This will help the breading turn golden.) Bake for 3 minutes, then flip shrimp and bake for another 3 minutes or until cooked through and no longer translucent. Serve warm with garnishes and cocktail or low-fat ranch sauce for dipping.

And finally the failure came in the form of this chicken. It was supposed to be exotic. Our NEW FAVORITE dish! And Daniel wasn't supposed to notice that two of the ingredients were ginger and cinnamon. But HE DID! RIGHT AWAY! And proclaimed that it tasted like potpurri. And so he abhored my supper that had simmered so hopefully in the crock pot all day, and ate a sandwich instead; it was that bad. I don't think Anthony and Katie gave it much better ratings either. But they kind and forgiving didn't ask for sandwiches. I kinda liked it...but I like all weird ethnic food. Here's the recipe if you want to give it a whirl! But you can't say I didn't warn you! The crazy thing was that the spice rub smelled absolutely amazing!!! I still can't figure out why it didn't taste as good as it smelled!  Danl and I now have an agreement that I cannot try a new recipe for supper unless he approves it! 

crock pot indonesian chicken

This unique chicken recipe is so easy and delicious, and makes a great weeknight dinner recipe idea. The coconut milk is a tasty, and healthy base for this dish and still keeping it diet friendy.

Ingredients

• 8 medium sized chicken drumsticks, skin removed
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 15oz can light coconut milk
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp coriander
• Juice from 2 limes
• Zest from 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp salt, pepper, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, garlic and lime zest. Rub over chicken thoroughly and use it all. If you have any of this spice mixture left, add it into the crock pot with the coconut milk in the later step.
2. Place chicken in a crock pot, and cover with onions.
3. Pour in coconut milk, lime juice, remaining salt.
4. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 5 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: USA (Nouveau)

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 2 drumsticks
Each serving = 6 Points +, plus 1/6th of the sauce

PER SERVING: 223 calories; 10g fat; 8g carbohydrates; 24g protein; 1g fiber

Okay, this is getting long enough and the hour is getting late enough. Tomorrow is already the second day of Spring/Easter Break and I want to tackle odious amounts of work mixed with sleep and a dash of sun before the day is done!

make me to hear joy & gladness....& my alarm clock!

Last Saturday March 7, as I sat out on the porch in the gorgeous weather of this year's Spring {we only get a few days of real Spring} reading Psalm 51, I did not realize how much I would need to lean upon the sustaining songs of David's Psalms as the coming week progressed. Verse 8 especially spoke to me - "Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice."  Make me to hear joy and gladness. That sentence made me wonder if joy and gladness are always there, but sometimes I just do not CHOOSE to hear them? I decided to make a greater effort to hear God's music - to really listen to His joy and gladness every day. The sonorous chirping of the birds, the lilting laughter of the children at school {even when I wish they would sober up and get to work}, the sound of Daniel's voice as we visit in the evenings while the dogs are snoring...
The new week began extra early Sunday morning, as we lost a precious hour of morning sleep due to Daylight Savings! I hadn't bothered with my alarm since I had told Daniel to wake me up. I spent part of the day laboriously changing the time on most of our non-atomic clocks, but didn't get to the one in our bedroom. Monday morning, the sound blaring from my atomic alarm at 5:52 was not a sound of joy and gladness to me! But I dragged myself out of bed and proceeded to slug through my routine so as to be at school by 7:25. At what I thought was 6:42, Daniel asked me, "Why are you running so late?!" I replied, "I'm not! It's only 6:42!" Then he showed me the time on his phone, and I realized with a sinking heart that my alarm had NOT changed automatically like it was supposed to, and I had NOT realized it since I had also forgotten to change the other bedroom clock, AND my cell had died since I had left my charger in my schoolbag. MAJOR FAIL in every area! So I let my comrades in the teaching department know of my predicament and they held down my fort while I proceeded to slog through my schedule arriving at school an hour late! The whole day felt off, and I was so glad for Tuesday and the chance to get it right again! Before bed, I checked my alarm - 5:52 am. Yes! Then I reset the alarm. Proper time? Yes! With faith, I happily crawled into bed, ready to forget the embarrassment of the morning! {So un-FlyLadyish!}
Suddenly, I jolted awake and my eyes immediately flew to the red digital time display above me, and I saw with utter DISBELIEF that the time was 7:52!!! WHAT?! I stormed over to the atomic clock only to find that the alarm was not even set! A reset always annihilates the alarm settings! Like a dimwit, I had forgotten that small detail which now loomed largely! HOW do you explain being even later the very next day after being horrifyingly late?! I quickly pounded out a text on the WHCS faculty GroupMe and begged them to come to my rescue once again! {Oh how I love my long-suffering cos!} I flew around, showered, dressed, grabbed some grub, and headed down the road, only to remember as I was passing Orval Peters's house that I had forgotten the dairy milk that we needed to make fresh cheese for Central America Social Studies at home. So, back I went, making myself even later! When I finally arrived at school at 9:05,
my wonderful kids who all deserve medals, were quietly working on their math papers seemingly not even needing a teacher in the least! By this time, I really felt like just going back home, curling up in the fetal position, and letting them continue to teach themselves! But I was a big girl, and didn't. This day felt off too. At its end, I set my alarm, rechecked my alarm, dug out an old-fashioned alarm, set it, set my cell phone alarm, and finally, crawled into bed and slept fitfully. When the cacophony of jingling and jangling and bleeping and blaring awoke me Wednesday morning at the proper 5:52, believe me, it was the most beautiful sound in the world!
I think the Psalmist would approve of this version of his verse!
Make me to hear joy & gladness, 
that the sound from my alarm which now ringeth may cause me always to rejoice.

The rest of the week from Wednesday on went much better! It even included these sugar babies! The sound of the new specialty donuts at Krispy Kreme plunking down into my box also sounded like joy & gladness! :)

this & that & shanghai sugar donuts!

Life just has a way of moving right along, like it or not! 

Perry was on the ball with handing out WHCS teaching contracts already last month....But Daniel and I had been discussing, deliberating, pondering, and praying over the matter of whether or not I would sign {if asked!} for the past several months. I flat out LOVE to teach! It is the only job I've ever had that doesn't feel like WORK! Of course I don't always feel like grading papers, but being with the children every day makes up for that! That being said, teaching full time does make life very full! Projects, programs, bulletins, lesson plans and the like have a way of looming even on the weekends. But dear old FlyLady has helped tremendously with keeping my head above water! Our ox still lives in the well, but we do occasionally bring him up for pasture instead of just throwing down hay like we used to do! Nevertheless, Schneider Farm Fence had a secretarial position open, and it seemed like an open door for me to take the opportunity to work in the family business. Last night after board meeting, I handed my unsigned contract back to Perry with mixed feelings. 

Beginning June 1, I will be found at the fence office four days a week.

 I know I will miss being an educator... {and being an educatee! My children teach me almost as much as I teach them, I think!}...my kindred spirit co-teachers...supportive school board & parents...the list could go on and on, but I am excited to move along with this lovely thing called LIFE! And maybe if the office gets a bit dull, I can get Dad enthused about doing an art or science project! {We have been known to experiment with oobleck! :)}

Did I mention how fast time is flying?! We only have a little over a quarter left of this school year! And I still have so many things I want to do with my bunch! Today we made these Chinese Sugar Donuts for our cultural focus city food. We viewed the Shanghai Slideshow yesterday, so I need to switch our city decor to Paris over the weekend. Then we will do Dubai, and we are done! Back to the donuts, we thought they were pretty good! I want to try using canned biscuit dough next time to see how that is. I actually wonder if the texture wouldn't be more like the ones you get on the Chinese buffets. I know these donuts aren't very ethnic, but I could NOT get the kids enthused about having dumplings or noodles! So we just went with the sugar donuts. Click here for the recipe. 

SIDE NOTE: On the auction post, I did not realize until later, that William from northescambia.com had first posted old 2012 pics with the 2015 auction story. Now he has current pics with the article. Once I realized that the pics were old, I actually thought it WAS Uncle Kale in the bottom pic I had posted and told some of you so! But that is NOT correct, he was at that auction in 2012, but is in this picture directly below. The gentleman I referenced previously just has the privilege of resembling him. 

So I am sorry for any confusion I caused! 

cookie dough greek yogurt & cajun chicken legs

I tried this for a snack on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was! I added a small sprinkle of Sweet 'n Low because I love things sweet! 

We tried this chicken for supper. It was so easy! And it was good. Nothing out-of-this-world, but we liked it. Quote Daniel, "I'm not complaining or anything, but it was just baked chicken. Really good baked chicken though!" 

I used Tony's for the Cajun seasoning.

Easy Cajun Chicken (Low Carb & Gluten Free)

Yield: Approximately 6 - 8 servings

Serving Size: 2 legs or thighs

An easy, delicious low carb recipe for Cajun chicken that the whole family will love!

Ingredients

• 5 lbs chicken parts (legs or thighs are best)
• 2 Tbl olive oil
• 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning (store-bought or homemade)
• Ranch dressing for serving (optional)
For the Cajun Seasoning Blend (if making)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbl garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

• Rub the chicken with olive oil. Add Cajun seasoning and toss until chicken is fully coated. Spread the chicken out on cookie sheets with at least an inch between pieces. Bake in the center of a preheated 400 degree (F) oven for about 50 minutes (40 minutes for wings). The skin should be golden and crispy, and the juices should run clear.

Notes

Approx nutrition info per serving (2pcs.): 495 calories, 26g fat, 0 net carbs, 60g protein

Delicious alone, these are made even more delectable by dipping them into ranch dressing!

searching for this

Yesterday, while browsing through my church journal, 

I came across this piece I had written on a different Sunday - August 14, 2014. 

Usually, I write sermon notes, 

but sometimes I just let my pen follow my mind, wherever it takes me!

....As I sit here, I am filled with awe...

here I am, surrounded by God's spirit, true friends, real talent, humility, & glorious a cappella music that speaks to the soul! Would I find this rare peace walking along the crowded streets of NYC in Jimmy Choos & fashionable clothes on my way to a Broadway play?! Why do I take my beautiful, ordinary, magical life for granted?! 

"God, thank you for this day, this moment, my ordinary. 

If I were elsewhere, 

I would be searching for this."